US Announces Revision of American Citizenship Tests

The revised test will ensure new citizens understand the privilege of U.S. citizenship, USCIS said.

Children participate in a U.S. citizenship ceremony at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) district office in New York on Jan. 29, 2013. John Moore/Getty Images

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has revised the naturalization tests that all applicants must pass to officially become citizens, the agency said in a Jan. 5 post on X.

“Our new version of the test will ensure all new citizens understand the privilege of citizenship and what it means to be an American,” the agency said.

USCIS did not provide more details regarding the specific changes it has made in the tests.

There are two naturalization tests administered by USCIS to applicants—one for English language skills and another for civics knowledge.

On the agency’s Naturalization Interview and Tests resource page, last updated on Oct. 31, 2025, USCIS said it was implementing an updated 2025 naturalization civics test to align with a Jan. 20 national security presidential action from President Donald Trump.

“During the civics test, you will answer important questions about American history, U.S. government, and civics,” the agency said.

“The 2025 naturalization civics test is an oral test consisting of 20 questions from the list of 128 civics test questions. You must answer 12 questions correctly to pass the 2025 test. You will fail the test if you answer nine of the 20 questions incorrectly.”

The new 2025 civic test is applicable to people who filed Form N-400 for naturalization after Oct. 20, 2025. Individuals who applied prior to this date will be administered the 2008 naturalization civics test, which requires applicants to correctly answer six out of 10 questions from a list of 100.

Some of the questions asked in the 2025 civics tests include the form of government in the United States, the number of amendments in the U.S. Constitution, explanation of rule of law, parts of the U.S. Congress, number of seats on the Supreme Court, the individual who wrote the Declaration of Independence, the war that ended slavery in the United States, and the name of an American Indian tribe, according to the test document.

There are special exemptions for lawful permanent residents aged 65 or older who have been residents for 20 or more years.

Such individuals need to study a set of 20 questions rather than the usual list of 128. Moreover, “you may also take the civics test in the language of your choice. The USCIS officer will ask you to answer 10 out of the 20 civics test questions with an asterisk. You must answer at least six out of 10 questions (or 60 percent) correctly to pass the 2025 version of the civics test,” the document said.

Official Language Test

The language test for naturalization requires that the applicant “demonstrate an understanding of the English language, including the ability to read, write, and speak basic English,” according to the USCIS.

Speaking and understanding skills will be determined by a USCIS officer during the eligibility interview.

In the reading test, an applicant has to read aloud one out of three sentences provided to demonstrate their ability. And for writing, they must write one out of three given sentences accurately.

On March 1, Trump signed a presidential action that designated English as the official language of the United States.

“From the founding of our Republic, English has been used as our national language. Our Nation’s historic governing documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, have all been written in English,” Trump wrote.

“It is therefore long past time that English is declared as the official language of the United States. A nationally designated language is at the core of a unified and cohesive society, and the United States is strengthened by a citizenry that can freely exchange ideas in one shared language.”

On Feb. 28, before the Trump action, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) criticized the move, arguing it contradicts the nation’s founding principles and marginalizes millions of Americans.

“America is stronger when we embrace multilingualism. Over 350 languages are spoken in the U.S., expanding our global influence in trade, diplomacy, and business. Bilingual and multilingual individuals give our economy a competitive edge and strengthen our communities,” Roman Palomares, LULAC national president, said.

“Limiting language access is not just exclusionary—it harms our future. We must uplift, not restrict, the diversity that has made this nation a global leader.”

According to a March 17 report from Pew Research Center, 82 percent of U.S. adults in a survey said it was “extremely/very” or “somewhat” important to make English the official language of the United States.

Responses were split along political lines. Among Republicans and Republican-leaning individuals, 73 percent said it was “extremely/very” important for English to be a national language, compared to just 32 percent among Democrats and Democrat-leaning individuals.